1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a telephone, and more particularly to a telephone set that can store telephone numbers in connection with names, and place automatic dialing in accordance with a retrieved telephone number.
2. Description of Related Art
Recently, versatile telephones have been wide-spreading which include a telephone-directory-like table for storing telephone numbers in conjunction with names, conduct table searches based on names, and make automatic dialing using retrieved telephone numbers, and these functions become essential for mobile terminals.
To make effective use of these functions, it is important that the retrieval can be achieved easily. In view of this, telephones are developed with such a function that enables users to enter, besides names and telephone numbers, icons, portraits or graphics representative of persons identified by their names, and that displays them during the retrieval to provide visual help, thereby making it possible even for illiterate children to conduct the retrieval.
Telephones with such a function are disclosed, for example, in Japanese utility model application laid-open No. 4-78877/1992, and Japanese patent application laid-open No. 9-83630/1997. The techniques disclosed can store and display pictures or portraits to help users.
The conventional telephones with such an arrangement, particularly current-day downsized mobile terminals, have a problem in that they cannot store a large number image data such as pictures or portraits because they demand very large storage capacity.
In addition, even if the conventional telephones can store pictures or portraits as the image data, they have another problem in that it is difficult for users to search desired ones from among many stored pictures or portraits. This is because such telephones, and mobile terminals in particular, have a small display and keypad, and hence it is difficult for users to discriminate details of an image on the display, which makes correct selection impossible and key operation difficult.